this is just weeks ago before the deadline. right now, as you know, there is still no deal. those sites are still hundreds of billions of dollars apart. mike emanuel has more. reporter: hello, jenna. speaker john boehner says the republicans made a good-faith effort to avert a fiscal crisis. they say essentially this is now time for the president to be getting involved to respond to the republican offering. he claims that the republican offer was balanced, and because republicans cannot just sit there and negotiate with themselves. here's more from the top republican leaders a short time ago. >> i will be here and i will be available at any moment. so, the president and get serious about solving this problem. reporter: they asked the president sit down so we can stop wasteful spending in washington. on the democratic side, there is emphasis that congress should pass the middle-class tax cuts for people earning up to $250,000 per year. to give those people economic certainty. here is more from nancy pelosi making her case. >> i consider what the republicans agree with the tax